Checkers Crush Bridgeport 8-2
October 25, 2024 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Charlotte Checkers News Release
The Checkers welcomed Bridgeport to town with a beatdown, drubbing the Islanders 8-2 to improve their record to 4-1-0-0.
After a deadlocked first frame that saw both sides strike once, the home side exploded in the second. After Aidan McDonough raised his goal total even higher with a power-play strike to give Charlotte the lead early in the period, the Checkers' offense took off.
The good guys rattled off four goals in a seven-minute stretch to exit the middle frame with a hefty 6-1 lead, then added a pair of special teams strikes - their third power-play goal of the night and their league-leading fourth shorthanded goal of the year - to cap off their blowout victory over Bridgeport.
The offense put on a show, but Chris Driedger had plenty of work to do between the pipes and came up big, making 34 stops to remain unbeaten on the season.
QUOTES
Coach Geordie Kinnear on the game
I thought there were some good spurts and stuff we want to continue to get better at. We'll just keep moving on. Win or lose there's always building blocks and we want to continue to build.
Kinnear on the team breaking through offensively
I thought it was back and forth a little bit with feeling out, and we talked about as a group that we need people to step up. Beezer stepped up, Alsch stepped up, we gave up a goal and then Villy scores right after. Those are big moments in the game and what winning hockey looks like. Then there's mistakes that we made that we have to correct because we don't want to leave games up for chance and every team is going to get better. It's the team that continues to get better day after day, regardless of if it's a win or a loss, that in the end that matters.
Rasmus Asplund on the game
We've been doing a lot of work this week on stuff we need to work at and get better at. I think we saw a little bit of that tonight. It's a good thing that scoring is not a problem or us. I still think we have a lot of work to do to get where we want to be, but it's a process and I think we're in a good way to continue that process.
Asplund on the team's ability to move the puck
I think that's just a staple throughout the whole organization, if you look to Florida too. They want to create players that can play that way. I think it shows here in Charlotte too, and it's been a lot of fun.
Riley Bezeau on the feeling in the room
The boys are happy with a big win like that. Everybody chipped in, so everybody is feeling good.
Bezeau on his fight early in the game
I feel like I brought the energy and got the boys going, so it feels good.
NOTES
The Checkers have scored at least seven goals twice in five games this season. They did not hit the seven goal mark once last season ... The Checkers rank second in the AHL with 25 goals scored ... The five-goal second period marked the most the team has scored in a single period since they scored seven against Cleveland on Jan. 21, 2023 - also in the second period at home. The franchise record for most goals scored in a period is eight, set in 2010 ... This marked the first game of the season in which the Checkers did not score first ... McDonough is tied for the AHL goal-scoring lead with seven in just five games played. He is tied for third in the league in scoring with eight points ... Trevor Carrick has a point in all four of his games this season (2g, 3a) ... Chris Driedger recorded his third career AHL assist on Asplund's goal ... The Checkers went 3-for-6 on the power play and lead the league with a 34.8 percent success rate on the season ... Checkers scratches included Zac Dalpe, Josh Davies, Mackenzie Entwistle, Jamie Armstrong, Riese Gaber, Tobias Bjornfot, Mikulas Hovorka and Ken Appleby.
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